England wrap up emphatic Test win

Graeme Swann finished with 5-54 as England beat South Africa by an innings and 98 runs in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

With the hosts 76-6 overnight, England needed only four more wickets to seal victory on the final day in Durban.
Swann took the first with his fifth ball before Stuart Broad (4-43) and James Anderson also struck.

Fittingly, Swann took the last wicket to finish with match figures of 9-164 as South Africa were all out for 133.
Nottinghamshire off-spinner Swann, who first toured with England on the 1999-2000 trip to South Africa before spending years in the international wilderness, has become a star performer.

The 30-year-old was an obvious choice for man of the match and adds that award to the one he collected in the drawn first Test in Centurion.

Having only made his debut in December 2008 in India, he is the most successful English spinner in a calendar year, with 54 wickets and four five-wicket hauls in 12 Tests. Broad has also had an excellent 12 months, with 47 wickets in 14 appearances.
This was England's first win at Kingsmead and their first by an innings over South Africa since Ken Barrington's runs and Fred Titmus's wickets secured victory in 1964.

Perhaps more significantly, South Africa - who achieved the number one world ranking after winning in Australia 12 months ago before slipping behind India - ended the decade with a second defeat in Durban in a calendar year.

The day began at its now customary early start of 0930 local time to make up for all the bad light on previous days, with Mark Boucher and Morne Morkel together on 76-6.

Morkel pulled Broad nicely for four in the first over but a single by Boucher off the second ball of the next over left Morkel to face four deliveries from Swann.

He should have lasted only two but Andrew Strauss, deputising at slip for the injured Paul Collingwood, was unable to lay a hand on the chance.

Swann regrouped and bowled a flatter, faster ball next up that gave umpire Aleem Dar a straightforward lbw decision as it slammed into Morkel's pads.

At the other end, Broad was giving Paul Harris plenty of discomfort with short balls but it was the big wicket of Boucher that came his way, with a gloved flick down the leg-side well caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Even then, it took a referral to the third umpire for England to win the decision and South Africa would have been nine down soon afterwards if another rejected appeal, this time an lbw by Swann against Dale Steyn, had been referred by skipper Strauss, who oddly declined the chance to do so.

Harris played Swann well and was prepared to attack when the chance presented itself, finishing as South Africa's top scorer with 36. His innings ended when Harris chipped Anderson tamely to Broad at mid-on.
Finally, Steyn was lbw to Swann and by finishing off the job in less than 75 minutes England had most of the day left to celebrate.

After starting the year in such fine fettle, South Africa have fallen from grace somewhat. They lost their last home series, to Australia, and now find themselves needing to win in Cape Town and Johannesburg to take this one.

They seem certain to make changes to their line-up, with fast bowler Friedel de Wet, who almost brought about victory in the first Test in Centurion, one of several candidates who could come in.

There are no such issues for the tourists, who will travel to Cape Town, a match traditionally well supported by England fans, for the Test starting on 3 January in good spirits.

Having clung on grimly for a draw in Centurion, the transformation here was remarkable and replicated what had happened in the Ashes when Anderson and Monty Panesar denied Australia in Cardiff before England scored a thumping victory at Lord's.

BBC SPORT